When I was training, my coach used to teach me to push myself in ways I had not thought possible. My competing distance was usually 2000 meters. What makes a 2000 meter rowing race so difficult lay in the fact that it is too short to be done at a lower cadence and too long to be a sprint. The magic or in this blogs case, the miracle, was to find the sweet spot that you could maintain for the entire distance without exploding. My coach and I worked out a formula that worked for me. We practiced it relentlessly. The start would come with and all out sprint to help you get a jump on the competitors around you. Then you would settle into a pace that hurt like the Dickens. It felt like a lifetime as you hammered your way between the 500 and the 1500 meter mark. The great undertaking would find its crescendo with 500 meters to go.I practiced this until it was just part of me. In that two minutes, I would take the stroke rating up by two beats every 30 seconds until you were revved like an engine at 100 miles an hour. One stroke would follow the next so quickly that it felt like a tornado of energy and motion. This whirlwind would hopefully be wreaking havoc around you as you took down one competitor after another. In the end whether you were the victor or not, nothing was left on the table and you knew that you had done your best. You body lay wasted with no regrets. Today, my lessons learned from this repeat experience have not been lost in time. When the challenge is there, facing it with confidence and resilience is the only option. Hard work always pays off, even if it feels frenzied and difficult to maintain. Like a rocket as it takes off, it’s best to think like there’s no turning back because within reach, you can touch the moon.
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